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Edgar Walters worked at the Tribune from 2013 to 2020, most recently covering health and human services. Before that, he had a political reporting fellowship with the Berliner Zeitung, a daily newspaper in Berlin. He is a graduate of the Plan II Honors Program at the University of Texas at Austin, where he worked as an editor for The Daily Texan. When not in the newsroom or at the Capitol, he could be found on the volleyball court, standing 6 feet, 7 inches tall.
The virus has claimed the lives of more than 1,000 U.S. health care workers; others could face lasting mental scars. It’s “the time when we’re needed most,” one doctor said, “and we’re burned out.” Full Story
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The governor said a vaccine could start arriving by mid-December. The state has said health care workers will be the first to receive voluntary vaccinations. Full Story
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Among the task force’s recommendations: Officials in Texas should significantly reduce capacity in indoor spaces, including those that are privately owned. Full Story
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The apparent record comes one day before the Thanksgiving holiday. Public health authorities have urged people to celebrate apart this year as many Texas hospitals report overwhelming volumes of COVID-19 patients. Full Story
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Hospital-based nurses, doctors, custodians are among the state's "first tier" of vaccine recipients once the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves one or more for the public. Full Story
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Officials are preparing for the massive undertaking of distributing a vaccine that may require multiple doses and subzero storage temperatures across a state that covers 270,000 square miles and some 170 rural counties. Full Story
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Rural hospitals say they’re in a bind as larger facilities in places like Lubbock, Amarillo and El Paso fill with coronavirus patients and often cannot accept gravely ill patients who need more advanced care than small hospitals can offer. Full Story
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The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council voted unanimously to restore protections for social workers' LGBTQ and disabled clients after backlash from advocates and lawmakers. Full Story
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Experts blame social gatherings like birthday parties and football games for the recent upticks. They say there is widespread fatigue for following stringent guidelines to wear masks, practice social distancing and avoid crowded indoor spaces. Full Story
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A professional organization of social workers called the change "incredibly disheartening," while Gov. Greg Abbott's office said it was necessary to conform with existing state law. Full Story
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